I’ve decided to open an eBay store
Posted on 29. Mar, 2010 by Brigitte in Uncategorized
Hello friends, hope this blog post finds all of you feeling wonderful!
So as the title states, I’ve decided to open an eBay store. EBay has made some huge changes as some of you may or may not know and one of those changes is a HUGE plus for store owners. This change is also the reason why I never wanted an eBay store. Before, items in stores did NOT show up in normal search results. Store items showed up below them. (I’m sure you’ve noticed from your own searches.) A lot of you are store owners I know so you must be thrilled about this.
Another reason I never wanted a store, and this hasn’t changed for me, is because store items are fixed price only. No auctions. Your auctions will show up in your stores yes, but if you utilize your store to list your items, they are only fixed price. The reason I didn’t like this is since most of my items are collectibles and vintage and my high sales came from bidding wars.
You know I say this in my book that most high sales do NOT come from a high starting price out of the gate (there are always exceptions of course.) Now you CAN start high and use the “make an offer” feature. But my comfort level and 11 years experience with my own items show I make the most money from starting low and let the auction take its course.
So why did I change my mind? Well, I have some items that have not sold as we all do and I find myself perplexed often on whether or not to donate back these items. These are items I know have potential but I have to keep the inventory moving. So I decided I wanted a separate website as sort of a holding tank. An online storage facility if you will. I would be putting these items there and have a paypal button to purchase it outright if anyone stumbles across them. I would direct my customers to this site letting them know about it. The REALLY good thing about that set up is that I don’t pay any fees to eBay for this. It’s all mine including the site! And I’m not saying I won’t ever go this route. Many have. I’m just not quite there yet as there is a lot to take into consideration when you do so.
Then I remembered what I tell all of you. EBay is THE place to get eyeballs on your products. And all those eyeballs are BUYING eyeballs. There’s no other reason to go to eBay unless you’re looking to buy or even browse to see what goods one can find. I want buying eyeballs don’t you?
So I realized, an eBay store would really serve my needs right now. Yes I now have to pay a monthly fee AND final value fees. BUT!……….my items are there for others to see AND for 30 days AND I don’t have to bother listing them over and over. The work is done once. Now this isn’t to say I might change my mind and close down the store. We’ll see how sales go! But it DOES feel good to know I can send items there as my “storage” facility and have the potential of buyers being interested in them.
I will still list most of my finds as auctions. I think that’s the best way to go with vintage items. We want those bidding wars!! But now I have the choice. The change of search results for store items was a really big factor for me. I know a lot of you are store owners. I’d love to hear your experience for myself and to share with others that are new to this.
My store name is My Nifty Thrifty and you’re welcome to check it out!
Deena
29. Mar, 2010
I totally agree, Brigitte. I have an eBay store, and I only put special, vintage, unusual items in the auction, the rest reside in the store. I’m very happy that eBay is changing the policy to include store listings in the regular search results – after all, we pay extra to have a store, and it wasn’t right to have our listings hidden. I look forward to having even better sales from my store items now that they’ll be right up there.
Brigitte
29. Mar, 2010
Great Deena! Glad to hear I’m on the right track. =D
Lynda
29. Mar, 2010
I am really happy that ebay has chosen to include the store listings as part of the regular search results too, but then that benefits those that have HUGE stores.
Thanks to you, I now look for vintage items and I have special place for them in my store. I have tried to auction them in the past, but they don’t get much attention, so, I just leave them as BINs.
Susie
29. Mar, 2010
Thanks for your ideas on this!
While an ebay store is a bit of a money eater, it’s the only way to move some items and get good bucks for them. I’ve had a store for just over a year and even when I don’t feel up to listing auctions, I still always sell plenty of goodies from my store, month after month. Very worthwhile.
With the new search features, I’m going to be putting most of my things in my store, higher priced and have the “make offer” enabled, too. Most people just pay what you ask and don’t bother making an offer anyway.
One thing that seems to attract buyers is adding a Mission Fish charity to your listings, even if it’s just a small donation. Many of my buyers say they purchase from me at a higher price over someone else’s lower prices because they like helping the blind cats or whatever animal charity I’m donating to.
Cats are biggies =^..^=
Brigitte
29. Mar, 2010
Good to know Susie, thanks!
Michelle
29. Mar, 2010
love the store.. I am debating which store to open…. May I ask which level store you opened. I am almost a toss up between basic and premium. Did you create you store template??
Email me please
Brigitte
29. Mar, 2010
While I did email you, I thought I would post for others that I opened up the basic store at $15.95. Found it more than suited my needs. When I compared the monthly subscriptions, I saw that really only high volume sellers needed more in my opinion.
Also, I used eBay’s own template. I chose my own colors and made my own logo.
cbcjmpenn
29. Mar, 2010
I have recently opened a store for the2nd time, and the going is slow, but the fees have gone up so much, it seems to be a better route for lots of items. I also will use the auction listing, as I hate to see that fade; that is what eBay is all about. There are some BIG BOYS out there selling on eBay, but people like us bring a different presence, and we need a price break to continue.
steff
29. Mar, 2010
I have had an eBay store for many years. I use it as a storage place as well and I get lots of sales! Whenever something does not sell on auction–I start most of my items around 5.00–I send it to the store where I up the price to about 9.99 or more, depending on what it is. Sometimes it sells within days! Other times it might sit there for a few months but you can remove it whenever you want.
One thing that ebay does is email anyone who had that item on a “watched item” list to let them know that the item was relisted–even if it is into a store–and that is where I often get the sale wtihin a few days. The store listing used to be 3 cents and now it is gong to be 20 cents for me but the exposure is so much better, I have already seen a difference over the last month as I have slowly moved my store items to fixed price. I’m thinking you will want to keep your store!
Brigitte
29. Mar, 2010
That’s great to hear Steff, thanks so much!
Serena
29. Mar, 2010
Great decision, Brigitte! I have had a store for several years now, and most of my business comes from my store sales. I currently have over 1200 items listed, so the Premium Store was a better option for me. eBay even has a calculator that you can use to figure out which store plan is best for your situation.
I always list my items at auction first, then move them into my store if they don’t sell. Most of my items sell out of my store, not at auction, so my eBay store is the bread and butter of my business. I’ve found that those high ticket items that sell at auction for a high price are few and far between. You make your living off the store items.
One trick I learned from fellow members of a forum I belong to is to relist your unsold auction items in your store at a price that’s quite a bit higher than what you would accept for it with the Best Offer feature. This way, people will think they are getting a bargain when they buy the item for less than its list price. Ever since I’ve instituted this practice, I get offers almost every single day. Sometimes people will not bother with the best offer and just buy the item outright, or they will offer you a higher price! You want to review each offer individually because some buyers will put in terms such as free shipping, and if you don’t check and automatically accept the offer, you may end up losing money on the item.
One last thing. I heard from 2 eBay sellers that a few years ago, for about a month, eBay placed the store items in the core search results, and according to them, their sales skyrocketed! Yay!
Brigitte
30. Mar, 2010
Yay!
cbcjmpenn
30. Mar, 2010
Good info. Thanks for sharing your experiences. It is so exciting when you check your email and another item has sold from the store inventory!!!
michelle
30. Mar, 2010
ok im convinced.. i am opening a basic store and jumping in the deep end.. what do they say, “in for a penny, in for a pound”
I assume it will be cheaper to make the change right now with the lower FP @.10 right? So I have approx. 24 hours to move everything and set up the store… If my auctions still have existing time on them , do i have to pay again to leave it in its auction state, but move to the store.. what i mean is will my auctions all start over at 7 days? if something already has bids, can it be moved to a store if i dont change the listing format?
Brigitte
30. Mar, 2010
Hello Michelle, I’m not sure on your questions but here is a link to the new changes.
Ilene
30. Mar, 2010
I, too, have been contemplating the idea of a store. I’ve made lots of sales the past few months; this time last year was dead for me. And auction and PayPal fees are eating me alive, so a store just seems to make sense. I’ll bet though, that fees will be about the same.
Crystal Leonard
30. Mar, 2010
I’ve decided to keep my ebay store as well however what i’m thinking about doing is dropping the monthly fee I pay for auctiva because I mostly used them so I could have more pictures for free, now ebay gives us more I might be able to delete that. I’m also using addoway.com for all my ebay stuff also, I imported it all to there, its 100 % free, so my stuff is always online and slow moving stuff on ebay I just move over there and take it off of ebay. Its a new company and i’m hoping someday it takes off, if anyone uses addoway please feel free to use me as a referral..LOL> Thanks,
Crystal D Leonard: I’m under Rhianon896 on ebay
strayffinds
30. Mar, 2010
Hi everybody, I too deliberated over a store with e-bay and finally just the end of last year decided to open one. I have sold on e-bay for awhile without one and struggled with what to do with un-sold inventory, re-donate, re-list etc. I haven’t had it long enough to do a 6-month study on profits versus fees but I do list in auction style first with everything and then move it over to the store at a higher price with the make offer option. Right now it’s running more profit from auction than store. However, I am getting make offers which is better than the inventory sitting around waiting for me to make a decision! Like you said, eyes are eyes. Also, not only will the store come up in everything now but e-bay will notify any watcher of a previous item at auction that gets re-listed in a store. I will be patience with e-bays process since I am trying to work my business to become full time since it is something I am passionate about. I enjoy your blog, keep ‘em coming and happing e-baying everyone. Strayfinds
Brigitte
30. Mar, 2010
Wow strayffinds, we are so much alike. Sounds like we all end up in the same boat don’t we? I also have to remind myself that even if listing fees are a bit higher, it is for 30 days and not 7. And the inventory stays put. No relisting. Time is money ya know!!!
Susan
30. Mar, 2010
I have always had a store and I have never had the great sales that people talk about. I also buy and have seen the increase in prices and more so with the shipping. I just cant see buying stuff you can fit in Priority Flat rather than the higher rates so many charge for Parcel Post that take so much longer. I just dont see the savings they talk about for Basic users when the store goes up 17 cents more and FP is only free if you have it under .99 cents…which we all know most times sell for the 99 cents! Just unsure of the new fees….hate to see my “storage” facility fees are higher now…but like you gonna wait and see if the new boost in search with help it…
Brigitte
31. Mar, 2010
I too am not crazy about the fees. I highly doubt I will ever use 99 cents to start my listings (unless it’s for exposure. Talk about cheap advertising!) So I too will see how it goes.
I do believe in “time is money” so I know the time saved in having my listings being “parked” is a plus for me. (so far)
Michelle
31. Mar, 2010
Bridgette-
To be honest listing is my least favorite part.. So if I have to take less pics, edit them less, write fewer descriptions and fill out that listing template a few less times … THEN I am all for it. To be honest, it may be worth $15.00 just to be done with at least 1/2 the grunt work. Even if I dont break even with the store, WHICH I intended to do ASAP..lol
MORE TIME TO SHOP!!!!
Brigitte
31. Mar, 2010
Yes Michelle that’s how I feel too!
I feel it’s worth the $15 to have my items have constant exposure. No need to relist them over and over again. Also, let’s not forget that store items show up on internet searches unlike auctions which do not.
Have you ever searched online for something and saw eBay listings show up? Those are all store items.
Michelle
31. Mar, 2010
Help… Can I ask your opinions on some possible names for my store?
That is a quick run-down on what I plan to carry..clothes, GW stuff, dinnerware, discontinued items-grocery & H/B, used books, vintage & costume jewelry… I do some sewing and my hubby does woodworking
My user ID is redeeming purpose… It is sort of a statement of my life. I have Fibromyalgia and chronic headaches and I have been unemployed for over a year. SO to me it means that ALL THINGS have a redeeming purpose. We may not understand why we need to start from fresh but sometimes it is necessary.. Isn’t that what most of us sell, things that need to be redeemed? Given a fresh new life and purpose…
All Things Thrifty
Buried In The Closet (:
Vera’s Attic (my grandmas name)
A Penny Saved
In The Eye Of The Beholder
Not So Common
Penny Wise
A Bird In The Hand
Eye Of The Beholder
Junk 2 u treasure 2 me
A Penny Earned (as in a penny saved is a penny earned)
Cellar Treasures
Surprising Treasures
Guess What I Found
Find Of The Day
Any opinions or better ideas……
Brigitte
31. Mar, 2010
My two favorites are;
Buried In The Closet
Vera’s Attic .
Hopefully others will give some responses too.
Bob
31. Mar, 2010
I’ve been getting your emails for a while now and have enjoyed them. I’m currently not selling on ebay but have sold on ebay in the past. I made a little money but felt it wasn’t worth it after I considered the time it took to take measurements, take pictures, write descriptions, post, pack and ship. The items I sold I already had but if I start an ebay business then I can add in time for shopping at thrift stores and garage sales? But I’m still considering ebay. I’m asking for advice. Should I or shouldn’t I? Seems like if I decide to that I’d need to find/sell a lot to make some decent money. By decent I mean $1,000 or more per month. Is that realistic? Can I make that much buying stuff from thrift stores and garage sales?
Brigitte
31. Mar, 2010
Hi Bob! So glad to have you here.
YES! You absoluteley can make that per month and more. It does take some effort. Anything worthwhile does. I can only give you my opinion and perspective on the matter and hopefully others will chime in. I actually have a full time job. 8-5, 5 days a week. I also travel on weekends to visit my parents as well as take care of my home, etc. Thus, time is of the essence for me too! I may have a little bit of an edge being that I love to shop in thrift stores and know what to look for (thus the reason I wrote the book.)
I can honestly say whenever you “have” to do something, it’s not as enjoyable as when you “want” to do something. So I can see how daunting it sounds to do all this work. For me, eBay allows me to decide when I want to sell. I am not forced to have items up but I do like making extra cash so I do. In otherwords, you’re the boss.
As for shipping and all of that, I can honestly say you will just get into a groove. I think it’s important to have an area set aside to do all of it with all your supplies handy and reachable. (It makes such a difference!) Some sellers say on their listings they only ship on Tuesdays and Fridays or something to that nature. That way YOU call the shots AND you know ahead of time what your schedule will be like.
As for going to thrift stores, that is what I do and recommend only because you find things so cheap and it’s easy for someone to start out selling when they don’t have much money for inventory, etc. There are many things one can sell on eBay but usually collectibles do very well.
If you put in the time and effort AND find products that people are searching for then I think anyone can make some great cash!
Michelle
31. Mar, 2010
Well after a lot of names being rejected I ended on Redeeming Treasures (as in giving my new found treasures a new life)
Would you all mind just popping in and tell me what you think..
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Redeeming-Treasures
Thanks-
Michelle
PS- I have a lot of other stuff that should be showing up but isn’t. I have more china and jewelry, but it seems to be be slowly populating through out the night..???
Brigitte
01. Apr, 2010
I think it all looks great. Love the name too. =D
Rebecca
02. Apr, 2010
Brigitte – LOVE all the info and it has definitely re-energized my love for Ebay selling and I have decided now to go for it and open a store. My question to you – what price do you normally start your auctions? I worry that I will start them low but only get one or two bids and the item will sell for less than I think I could get for a BIN even if I had to wait a little longer. How do I make that determination? I generally like to start my auctions low but have gotten burned several times only getting one or two bids and end up selling for way less than I have seen other similar closed listings. Any advice on this is very appreciated!
Thanks,
Rebecca
Brigitte
03. Apr, 2010
My goodness, where do I start? I talked about this is the book too.
I think it depends on what you sell and one’s priority. For example, the stuff I get is so cheap that I can start at a very low price and still make a profit. Therefore, the priority for me to have stuff sell. I have so much stuff that it needs to move or I can’t buy more! haha. So of course the lower you list it for the higher chance it will sell. I can do this since I buy for so low. Now, that being said, it doesn’t mean if I found some vintage shoes that are super rare I will start at $9.00. I would probably start at $59 because I KNOW they will sell for more than that. To me, that is starting low on a high valued item. But if say I found a skirt for 50 cents, I would start at $9.00 knowing this low starting bid will bring in buyers AND I make a good profit. Anything more than that price is a bonus. Does that make sense?
If one’s priority is to get rid of stuff then go as low as you are comfortable with (taking into consideration fees.) Decide ahead of time the lowest you would be satisfied with that way if that’s all you get then you won’t be disappointed. If it’s something special or that you paid a lot for then go ahead with your minimum price and if it doesn’t sell so be it.
My niece asked me this years ago about tons of beading supplies she had she didn’t want and was just taking up space in her closet. She said she paid a lot for it and didn’t want to just get pennies for it. I said , “How much are getting for it sitting there?” (I can be sarcastic) and she got the point. I had to explain to her eBay buyers are bargain hunters mostly. I then asked her how she would feel about someone handing her over cash to take it off her hands. She liked that. Making her see it in a different way got her to unload them. She sold them, got some side cash, cleared her closet and didn’t miss them.
I hope I’m not babbling too much here. I think it’s important to have an agreement with “one’s self” if that makes any sense? I also advise using Hammertap or Terapeak to see what items are going for.
If you are selling NEW items then you have to check out the competition to see what they are selling it for.
Rebecca
03. Apr, 2010
Thanks Brigitte!
That has kind of been my thinking but I am always paranoid about underpricing something. Guess it is a learning process and for now I have to accept that process, be happy with a profit and to move on when I discover that maybe I could have made more. I think I have been doing a lot of things right, based on your advice, so that makes me happy.
Thanks again Brigitte,
Rebecca
PS – and I did buy your book late last night:) Great read, though I need to go through it again (and again) after the holidays…why do I think I can absorb info at 11pm???
Brigitte
04. Apr, 2010
Hi Rebecca, you’re welcome.
Ya know, pricing things all depends on so many factors. Since you really are not in control of what something sells for (unless fixed price) then you always want to list something at the lowest you are willing to let something go for taking into consideration fees. If it’s a store item (fixed price) and you have something you think is worth a lot, then you can always put a high price and accept offers. Most vintage sellers do this.
PS Thanks for buying the book. I hope you enjoy it and it will definitely help to read it over and over.
Michelle
07. Apr, 2010
I am on my second read thru on your book and still feel like a child that is in a candy store… I love the vintage jewery and dinnerware, but boy are there a lot of variables. So much to learn. My neighbors Mom was a ball room dancer back in the 40-60″s. They have all her jewelry, I have seen some of it and it is glorious…
Is there a rule of thumb about approaching someone about purchasing their collection? They will put out small amounts during their yearly yard sale, but they have trunks full. Do you ever go into comission deals? In the VJ world what would be a fair split? and who best to cover fees?
I am thinking it can go 2 ways. EX- 50/50 split AFTER fees or I cover all expenses out of my portion?
Brigitte
07. Apr, 2010
Hi there Michelle. Thanks for the kind words on the book. I’m glad you enjoy it!
First thing, when approaching people, do just that. Approach them in just a kind way. When I did yard sales people asked me all the time if I had more in the house. I didn’t mind. And sometimes I did! So I would just nicely ask if they have more.
As for the jewelry, this the perfect opportunity for me to refer you to a member here who is a “selling vintage jewelry on eBay” expert. She wrote a book for us just recently and am so glad she did. Her name is Rebecca and you can find her book here.
Hopefully Rebecca will chime in also!
rebecca
09. Apr, 2010
Hi Michelle!
Hi Brigitte!
I just read your post Michelle and ooh I’d love to find someone with trunks of vintage jewelry! Sounds amazing!
Ebay loves vintage jewelry! Some are incredibly rare and very profitable!
There are some great ways to approach someone about purchasing their collection. Are they knowledgeable about the collectible jewelry names and pieces? Is it something they’re looking to sell, or have you sell for them?
Never throw out a price – let them give you a $ amount, then dicker with them based on what it is. If you offer to sell it for them, the going rate is around 30%, but if it’s someone you know, hey 50% would be great! With a contracted exchange, the client pays the fees. If it’s someone you know – you could always split the cost. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Kind Regards,
Rebecca
Michelle
11. Apr, 2010
Thank you so much… Rebecca I have your info that you lut on My Silent Team Bonus pool and really enjoy ut. I am assuming I am speaking to that Rebecca…. I will make the move this week if possible. I will report what the boys say
Kristi at Spend Less and Save More
19. Apr, 2010
These posts have encouraged me to reopen an eBay store. They new higher store listing fees made me rethink having a store & felt like maybe I should just stick to auctions to move goods. I think I will do what you ladies have said & just send items that don’t sell at auction straight to my eBay store. Thanks!!
Brigitte
19. Apr, 2010
I’m glad we could help out Kristi. Good luck with it!